Exploring the New Extension of The Cleveland Museum of Natural History

As I entered the new extension of The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, my sensors were flooded with excited human energy. The extension adds over 70,000 beautiful square feet to the original building. The bright sunlight shining in from the massive windows caught my attention first, but the displays are what kept me engaged. The museum had all-new exhibits in every area- everything from a simulated elephant ear to an interactive topography map of Ohio spanning the entire lobby. There were also new hands-on exhibits in the Live Animal Center and a seasonal butterfly exhibit that allows guests to walk amongst free-flying monarch butterflies. I was especially captivated by the massive, nine-foot globe that hung in the center of the older wing's Natural History Exhibits before being moved to the new extension. The globe has been a signature artifact since the museum's inception and now finds itself among dioramas and exhibits of prehistoric life, dinosaurs, and local plant and animal life. It was fascinating to compare these exhibits with those at other natural history museums I have visited. Overall I was impressed with the museum’s layout and captivating exhibits that made the human history and natural world you humans experience, come off alive and interesting.